Month: October 2016

The Demokratikus Koalíció (DK) party is contacting Interpol and the FBI about the claim that the Hungarian Prime Minister’s family is doing business with Ghaith Pharaon, who is allegedly on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.

László Varju, the party’s deputy chair, held a press conference on Sunday in Budapest about Pharaon’s high-value real estate dealings with a family member of PM Viktor Orbán, and that he most recently he purchased a piece of property opposite Orbán’s home, according to MTI.

Varju stated that Pharaon had previously done business with Osama bin Laden, and stressed that “since the government is doing business with internationally-known criminals,” DK would do all it could to protect the county. This was why, he said, the party was contacting Interpol, the FBI, and Hungarian authorities.

Gergely Gulyás, the deputy chair of Fidesz’ parliamentary delegation, announced that there will definitely be a vote in Parliament on the new amendment to Hungary’s constitution, the Basic Law, according to Hír TV. Gulyás stated that the vote will be independent of the issue of withdrawing the residence bonds.

According to Gulyás, both Jobbik and LMP parties support the draft language in the amendment. The Law Drafting Committee will discuss it on Thursday, and it will come to a vote in Parliament on November 8. Since amending the Basic Law requires a two-thirds majority, it will require two members in the opposition to also support it.

Gulyás ruled out allowing Jobbik’s demand that it would only vote for the amendment if the government rescinds the law on residence bonds.